The present invention relates to a plane-of-polarization independent type of optical isolator that is used for optical communications and photometry.
There have heretofore been two types of optical isolators which may be disposed between a transmitting optical fiber and a receiving optical fiber to operate on a plane of polarization and every orientation, one being the type which uses a birefringent crystal planar plate as a polarizer and the other being the type using a birefringent crystal wedge as a polarizer.
However, a serious problem with the type using a birefringent crystal plane plate is that its thickness must be increased, making an optical device unavoidably large. The reason is that the returning light appears in the form of a light beam parallel with the forward light, and so an inter-light beam space must be increased so as to prevent the backward light from coming back to the optical fiber.
The type using a birefringent crystal wedge, on the other hand, presents another serious problem. That is, the backward light appears in the form of a light beam that is at an angle to, rather than parallel with, the forward light, so that the prevention of the returning light can be somehow achieved by making the wedge angle large and thereby allowing the light beam of the returning light to make a large angle to the forward light. However, because the forward light leaves the optical isolator while it is divided into two light beams, there is needed a special optical system for condensing both of two such light beams on one optical fiber.
An object of the invention is therefore to provide a plane-of-polarization independent type of optical isolator that has increased isolation but much reduced light loss due to insertion.